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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Fifth Legislature, Second Regular Session
AMENDED
teacher certification; leadership preparation programs
Purpose
Expands the grades a subject-matter expert standard teaching certificate (subject-matter expert certificate) holder may instruct and adds to subject-matter expert certificate training requirements. Expands specified exemptions from teaching certificate requirements. Allows a school district or charter school to apply for approval as a locally-based school leadership preparation program (leadership program) to approve school-level leadership position certifications and modifies eligibility and requirements for classroom-based teacher preparation program candidates and providers.
Background
The State Board of Education (SBE) must adopt
rules for issuing the following types of certificates that reflect the source
of a teacher's training: 1) standard teaching
certificate;
2) alternative teaching certificate; 3) subject-matter expert certificate; 4)
classroom-based standard teaching certificate; and 5) career and technical education (CTE) teaching certificate
(A.R.S. § 15-501.01). Certificated teachers must have a fingerprint
clearance card and, subject to outlined exemptions, a baccalaureate degree.
Statute prescribes requirements for training program approvals and education,
experience, examination and proficiency demonstration requirements and
exemptions that vary based on the type of certificate (A.R.S. Title 15, Chapter 5
and
A.R.S. § 15-782.01).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
Teaching Certificates
1. Expands, from 6 through 12 to kindergarten through 12, the grades a subject-matter expert certificate holder may instruct.
2. Limits a subject-matter expert certificate issued in kindergarten programs and grades one through five to the applicant's area of subject-matter expertise.
3. Requires a subject-matter expert certificate holder to:
a) review and attest to reviewing the best practices for social media and cellular telephone use between students and school personnel adopted by the SBE; and
b) within two years of certification, complete training in professionalism and ethics from an SBE-approved provider.
4. Adds a substitute teaching certificate to the certificates for which a person is not required to have a baccalaureate degree.
5. Expands, to apply to any SBE-issued certificate, the SBE's authority to grant a standard teaching certificate for at least three years to a teacher who has not met proficiency examination or demonstration requirements at the time of application.
6. Exempts, from the proficiency exam requirement, a person who has been in a full-time school leadership position in any state for at least three years in the same area in which the person is applying for certification.
7. Expands the reciprocity proficiency examination exemption for an applicant for an SBE-issued certificate by removing the criteria that the similarity of the corresponding examination in another state be substantial.
8. Removes the criteria that a person seeking renewed teaching certification between 2 and 10 years after expiration have at least 10 years of verified full-time experience in Arizona in the area in which the person seeks renewed certification.
9. Requires, by November 15, Arizona Department of Education (ADE) to annually report and post on its website:
a) the total number of teaching certificates issued in the previous calendar year disaggregated by the type of teaching certificate and demographics;
b) the total number of currently-issued teaching certificates issued in Arizona disaggregated by the type of teaching certificate and demographics; and
c) any other historical data or trends regarding certificated individuals in Arizona.
School District and Charter School Leadership Programs
10. Allows a school district or charter school to apply to the SBE to be a leadership program provider with the authority to approve the certification of principals, assistant principals, supervisors and other school-level leadership positions.
11. Sets, at six years, the term of validity for an approval of a school district or charter school as a leadership program provider and requires the school district or charter school to apply for renewal before the expiration of the current approval.
12. Requires SBE leadership program rules to require a school district or charter school to:
a) submit a program sequence or training schedule and information on the learning experiences, mentoring and coaching of school leader candidates;
b) verify that certification applicants have made satisfactory progress in the program sequence and model; and
c) submit evidence supporting the efficacy of the preparation program.
13. Directs the SBE to provide for a variety of options in program sequence, content and design and prohibits the SBE from requiring a prescribed program sequence, content or design for approval.
14. Requires an application to be a leadership program provider to include:
a) the applying school district's or charter school's name;
b) a list of staff members responsible for administering the program and each person's roles and responsibilities;
c) the areas of certification for which the applicant will offer the program; and
d) a description of the program.
15. Allows a school district or charter school to employ and enroll, in its leadership program, any person who holds at least a bachelor's degree from an accredited postsecondary institution and meets statutory background and fingerprint clearance card requirements.
16. Requires the SBE, on a school district's or charter school's verification that leadership program requirements have been met, to issue a standard principal, assistant principal, supervisor or other school-level leadership position certificate to the individual.
17. Directs the SBE to adopt leadership program rules, policies and procedures to be administered by the ADE that:
a) facilitate the approval and certification process; and
b) are not more restrictive or require more than statutorily prescribed.
18. Requires SBE leadership program rules to require a certification applicant trained through a leadership preparation program to:
a) meet background and fingerprint clearance card requirements;
b) hold at least a bachelor's degree from an accredited postsecondary institution; and
c) demonstrate subject knowledge and professional knowledge requirements through any statutorily available option.
19. Allows a school district or charter school to contract with a third party to provide or assist in the leadership preparation program and use that program's efficacy evidence to meet efficacy evidence requirements.
20. Requires SBE leadership program rules to allow a school district or charter school to adopt professional expectations and requirements that exceed statutory requirements, including requiring specified coursework or trainings.
21. Specifies that satisfactory progress in the program sequence and model may include professional evaluations, observations, student achievement data and demonstration of competencies skills and knowledge associated with the school leadership position.
Classroom-Based Teacher Preparation Programs
22. Adds, to persons a school district or charter school may employ and enroll in a classroom-based preparation program, a candidate without a bachelor's degree if the candidate:
a) meets background and fingerprint clearance card requirements;
b) is enrolled in a bachelor's degree program;
c) is not a full-time teacher or teacher of record for any classroom, except that the candidate may be employed by the school district or charter school; and
d) does not regularly instruct students without the presence of a full-time teacher, certificated teacher, instructional coach or instructional mentor, unless the candidate is otherwise certified including as an emergency substitute, substitute or emergency teacher.
23. Specifies that an applicant for a classroom-based standard teaching certificate must have at least a bachelor's degree upon completion of the preparation program.
24. Sets, at six years, the term of validity for an approval of a school district or charter school as a classroom-based preparation program provider and requires the school district or charter school to apply for renewal before the expiration of the current approval.
25. Requires, rather than allows, a classroom-based program provider to submit a program sequence or training schedule to the SBE.
26. Directs the SBE to provide for a variety of options in program sequence, content and design and prohibits the SBE from requiring a prescribed program sequence, content or design for approval.
27. Requires an application to be a classroom-based program provider to include:
a) the applying school district's or charter school's name;
b) a list of staff members responsible for administering the program and each person's roles and responsibilities;
c) the areas of certification for which the applicant will offer the program; and
d) a description of the program.
28. Requires SBE classroom-based preparation program rules to allow a school district or charter school to adopt professional expectations and professional requirements, including requiring candidates to complete specific coursework or trainings.
Miscellaneous
29. Makes technical and conforming changes.
30. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Amendments Adopted by Committee
1. Reverts the expanded application of the proficiency examination requirement to the existing statutory application.
2. Extends, to charter schools, the authorization for a school district to enroll in a leadership program any person who has a bachelor's degree and meets statutory background and fingerprint clearance card requirements.
3. Removes the list of specified certificate holders who a school district may enroll in a leadership program, if the person also holds a bachelor's degree.
4. Transfers, from the SBE to ADE, the requirement to annually report and post specified teacher certification information.
5. Narrows the definition of standard teaching certificate to a teaching certificate obtained according to the requirements for a CTE teaching certificate and standard teaching certificate.
6. Makes technical changes.
Amendments Adopted by Committee of the Whole
1. Removes the consolidation of standard teaching certificate types.
2. Limits subject-matter expert certificates in kindergarten programs and grades one through five to the applicant's area of subject-matter expertise.
3. Requires subject-matter expert certificate holders to review social media and cell phone best practices and complete professionalism and ethics training.
4. Sets, at six years, the term of validity for an approval of a school district or charter school as a classroom-based teacher preparation program provider or locally based school leadership program provider and requires the school district or charter school to apply for renewal.
5. Requires, rather than allows, a classroom-based teacher program or locally-based school leadership program provider to submit a program sequence or training schedule to the SBE and requires the SBE to provide for a variety of options in program sequence, content and design.
6. Prescribes information that must be included in a school district's or charter school's application for approval as a classroom-based program or leadership program provider.
7. Prescribes requirements for a classroom-based preparation program candidate without a bachelor's degree including the presence of a certificated person.
8. Specifies that an applicant for a classroom-based standard teaching certificate must have at least a bachelor's degree upon completion of the preparation program.
9. Modifies ADE reporting requirements relating to teaching certificate types.
10. Makes technical and conforming changes.
Senate Action
ED 1/25/22 DPA 5-3-0
Prepared by Senate Research
March 2, 2022
LB/slp